George Kittle Officially Signs Contract Extension
The biggest news of the day was All-Pro tight end George Kittle officially putting pen to paper and signing the five-year contract extension that will keep him with the 49ers through the 2025 season.
Both Kittle and general manager John Lynch issued statements following the signing. Kittle's was a bit lengthier than Lynch's. Click the link below to read them.
Kittle posted the following video on his Instagram page (h/t to Patrick Tulini).
Wide Receiver Speed
The 49ers have some speed at wide receiver, with the impending signings of Tavon Austin and J.J. Nelson further lowering the average.
A Good Combination
The 49ers duo of general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan came in as the NFL's second-best general manager and head coach combination within Bucky Brooks' ranking for NFL.com. Only Eric DeCosta and John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens ranked higher.
Brooks wrote the following about Lynch and Shanahan:
It took some time for the braintrust to reverse the franchise's fortunes, but a series of shrewd moves and clever scheming have the 49ers looking like perennial contenders in the NFC. Fueled by a D-line loaded with former first-round picks, the 49ers punch opponents in the mouth on defense. Offensively, Shanahan's wizardry and timely play-calling has enabled the 49ers to run roughshod over opponents with a potent ground game sparked by castoffs and misfits at running back. The development of the team's complementary weapons, including All-Pro tight end George Kittle, has added knock-out power to an offense that routinely wins with body blows.
49ers Triplets Rank No. 18
Ali Bhanpuri of NFL.com ranked the best offensive trios (quarterback, running back, pass catcher) in the NFL heading into the 2020 season. The San Francisco 49ers combination of Jimmy Garoppolo, Raheem Mostert, and George Kittle came in at No. 18.
Bhanpuri wrote the following:
Niners fans came after me hard during the team's Super Bowl run after I (boldly) predicted that Jimmy G would stumble on the sport's biggest stage, thereby leading the team to seek other options under center this offseason ... Although it may not seem like it, I think Jimmy G is a good quarterback. One with whom the 49ers can win a Super Bowl. I just don't think he's a great quarterback. Not yet, at least. He makes too many terrible decisions (18 total giveaways in 2019) in a system strategically schemed to limit the number of bad choices available. That same scheme enabled two undrafted running backs (Mostert and Matt Breida) to average more than 5 yards per rush last season. The near-equal distribution of touches at the position makes picking an RB in this exercise challenging, but I opted for Mostert over Tevin Coleman and the resurrected Jerick McKinnon because of Mostert's incredible efficiency (+0.55 yards above expectation per rush, according to NGS). Garoppolo consumed my word count (like he's consuming the 49ers' salary cap), but fortunately, I only need five to describe Kittle: NFL's most complete tight end.
25 Predictions
Could San Francisco go 0-3 (including playoffs) against the Seattle Seahawks this season? Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle posted 25 predictions for the 49ers' 2020 season.
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